1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to compositions, which show dilatancy and are useful for cosmetic preparations, shock absorbing agents and the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Dilatant compositions are widely used as shock absorbing agents, automotive clutch fluids and the like owing to the physical property that their viscosities increase instantaneously upon application of a shock sufficient to cause a certain degree of strain or greater but drop to the initial levels after an elapse of a certain time. Dilatant compositions are also utilized in the field of cosmetics by the flow behavior that the state of each dilatant composition changes in the order of liquid → gel → liquid by a strain, different from a gel composition the viscosity of which remains constant irrespective of a strain. JP 10-182403 A and JP 5-237767 A disclose dilatant compositions for cosmetics using water-swelling clay minerals.
Solutions of water-soluble polymers, on the other hand, generally have non-Newtonian properties, and are applied to paints having pseudoplasticity and also to toothpastes, inks, cosmetic creams and the like all of which have thixotropy. Especially for emulsified compositions, such water-soluble polymer solutions are used for thixotropic gel composition to improve emulsification stability, viscosity control and the like by protective colloidal action.